When it comes to the blackout of Disney content, including ESPN, on YouTube TV, viewers are starting to take a side in the standoff. And for Disney, the side they are taking does not help them.
According to a new poll conducted of 1,107 people who responded to Drive Research, 58 percent blame both sides in the dispute between the content producer and content carrier. However, of the 42 percent that blames one side over the other, 38 percent say that Disney is more at fault than YouTube TV, with just 5 percent saying the opposite. A poll conducted at the end of October by the website Awful Announcing found closer to 3 out of every 4 placed more of the blame on Disney.
When there is a carriage dispute that causes you to either miss or spend additional time or money to watch sporting events, who do you typically assign more blame to for the inconvenience?
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 31, 2025
YouTube TV Does Not Come Away Unscathed In ESPN Blackout
Subscribers tell researchers they’re planning to leave because of the dispute
But YouTube TV does not come away looking clean from the standoff. According to Drive Research, 82 percent of subscribers polled say that are likely to cancel their YouTube TV subscription because of the blackout. 24 percent say they have already cancelled their service, while another 30 percent told researchers that they have subscribed to YouTube TV’s main competitor, Hulu + Live TV (owned by Disney), ESPN’s director-to-consumer plan, or plan to subscribe.
YouTube has begun offering the $20 credit promised if the dispute when on for a prolonged period. Each customer has to proactively apply for the credit, so here is the link to do so. Drive Research found that 70 percent of subscribers polled say that this credit is not enough to prevent the service from being cancelled.
Disney’s content, including ABC, ESPN, FX, Nat Geo, and Disney Channel, have been off YouTube TV since October 31 due to the dispute. Subscribers have therefore missed a pair of college football and NFL Monday night broadcasts.
